When War Was a Private Enterprise

Yesterday while looking for accounts of Richard III’s funeral, I came across an opinion reacting to a comment that Richard III was the last (English) king to die in battle. Well in them days up ’till 1485 when king Richard faced Tudor Henry VII’s forces just over from France anyone who believed they had the right genes for the job had to be prepared to fight anyone else who thought they had the right genes to be king to the death. And like Tudor Henry VII well qualified in genes and cash to pay for his side of the fight, would -be royals and aristocratic retainers: lords and earls had to have the cash to afford swords axes and armour to win titles whatever the rank. But as the comment by an American, I presume, reacting to King Richard’s being the last king to die in battle said: when he hears of senators sending soldiers off to war he wonders why the senators don’t accompany them.